Posts tagged ‘embroidery’

We are feeling the metallic love at Pearl and Earl – and I have been experimenting with gold threads and crafty papers. So this simple embroidery by makenziandmadilyn really caught my eye. It is a simple technique using back stitch over hand written text. Present idea anyone?

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I have a big stash of yarns I found at an antique fair yonks ago, and whilst I have used them for lots of different crafty ventures of late, I love this geometric art idea by Маленький Лес

It is so simple yet really effective – and am thinking of doing a supersize one for the stair well… She has simply sketched out a simple geometric pattern onto fabric with a pencil and then embroidered an oversized satin stitch to complete.

Lovely

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Designed by Jacqui for Jacqueline Wilson (read about it here).. We have made it super easy for you to download your free Sapphire Battersea sampler.. simply JUST CLICK HERE >>> FREE SAPPHIRE BATTERSEA SAMPLER to view and download your pdf pattern… available for a limited time only!

You can find instructions on how to stitch your design here with the official Jacqueline Wilson Mag here>> Sew with Sapphire Or you can follow them here:

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At the beginning of this year I was asked by Jacqueline and the team from Jacqueline Wilson Magazine (JW Mag) to design a sampler that Sapphire could have stitched over the course of her life.

It has to be naive enough to have been started when she was a tot – and only have a couple of stitches so that her readership of young girls would be encouraged to take up the craft!

The stitched framed sample was launched at the Book Launch and a the Super Fan event while I was ‘in recovery’.. and the fans seem to like it! The sampler is going on tour with Jacqueline on her promotional travels over the next few months – including her own festival!

But from today you can download the sampler exclusively from Granny Knits FOR FREE HERE, for a limited time only.

I has been a complete honour to have been involved in this project – and I hope that it inspires some new young blood to take up stitching.

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I discovered this fabulously crafty geeky cross stitch Iphone cover from Leese design based in Korea a couple of months ago.. genius I cried!.. and one paypal click and quite a long airmail journey later and it arrived… !

The little case made from silicone does not disappoint and it comes beautifully packaged with a little needle, 3 threads and instructions and a few mini designs.

I am quite up for the retro Apple Sign using threads from my stash .. but I have also been playing around with a mini phone design… decisions, decisions

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You will note from my posts that today has been a creative day in the studio.. playing with new techniques and getting on with the hard core stitching up of the projects for my book. (Which I cannot wait to share)

One of the little trials I did was with the whistle while you work design from this months Cross Stitcher magazine. Using an embroidery coloured pen I copied the outline of the swallow and heart design onto an old plain white tablecloth, stitching up the outline with chain stitch for a bit of texture – I am going to fill in the bird with some made coloured satin stitches

Quite a big old project to do the whole 2m tablecloth … but at least I have started!..

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I am a very lucky girl – as I had a delivery this week from DMC with lots of new yarns to play with. So today I was busy sorting out my new hoard and grouping them in themes for new projects that I am working on.. as little quick stitches for gifts.

First up were these super neons – the white one is glow in the dark, and I am loving the hot pink and lime combo. I am going to use these I think for embellishing a few things for some of the girls in the family.

Next were these fab metallics – which I have been sketching around all afternoon. I am a little partial to a bit of bling, especially at Christmas, and think these are rather fun

I will of course share what I come up with and cant wait to get started!

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Those of you who follow us on Twitter may be aware that we have been commissioned by Dame Jacqueline Wilson to create a crafty piece to coincide with the launch of her new book Sapphire Battersea. Jacqueline Wilson is a legend – and the most borrowed author in British Libraries, selling over 25 million books in the UK alone. Most famous perhaps for her character Tracy Beaker, she has very loyal young fans (including my daughter!). I cannot tell you how thrilled and utterly honored I was to be asked to complete this challenge for her.Sapphire Battersea is due out in September 2011, and it is the second book based on her Victorian Heroine Hetty Feather, as she continues her adventures and passions in the Circus and beyond. Sapphire (Hetty’s Stage name) is an accomplished seamstress, who creates all her own costumes. My challenge was to design a Victorian style sampler that could have belonged to Sapphire, chronicling her life and adventures.I cannot show / tell you any more until the launch – but the finished piece will be seen first at the book launch and will be available to fans through The Official Jacqueline Wilson Mag.. there are lots of events this Autumn for Jacky’s fans, including her very own festival.. so this really is a very exciting project.The piece is all stitched up.. and I can’t wait to share it with you all.>>Buy Sapphire Battersea here>>Buy Hetty Feather here

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Those of you who follow us on Twitter may be aware that we have been commissioned by Dame Jacqueline Wilson to create a crafty piece to coincide with the launch of her new book Sapphire Battersea. Jacqueline Wilson is a legend – and the most borrowed author in British Libraries, selling over 25 million books in the UK alone. Most famous perhaps for her character Tracy Beaker, she has very loyal young fans (including my daughter!). I cannot tell you how thrilled and utterly honored I was to be asked to complete this challenge for her.Sapphire Battersea is due out in September 2011, and it is the second book based on her Victorian Heroine Hetty Feather, as she continues her adventures and passions in the Circus and beyond. Sapphire (Hetty’s Stage name) is an accomplished seamstress, who creates all her own costumes. My challenge was to design a Victorian style sampler that could have belonged to Sapphire, chronicling her life and adventures.I cannot show / tell you any more until the launch – but the finished piece will be seen first at the book launch and will be available to fans through The Official Jacqueline Wilson Mag.. there are lots of events this Autumn for Jacky’s fans, including her very own festival.. so this really is a very exciting project.The piece is all stitched up.. and I can’t wait to share it with you all.>>Buy Sapphire Battersea here>>Buy Hetty Feather here

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Of late I have been working on some new embroidery and quilting designs – experimenting until I get it right. Part of the process has been to seekout contemporary embroidery “Style Muses” .. to see how they are taking this oldest of crafts into the modern age, maybe picking up a little inspiration along the way.In the case of Jillian Tamaki, I just stopped and stared. I am totally in love with these embroidered pieces, and had to share with you her stunning work. She is an illustrator and comics artist by trade from the Canadian Prairies. Now living in Brooklyn, NY she is a regular contributor to editorial with her free style of illustration. However one of her recent commissions/challenges was from Penguin to transform 3 classic titles – Emma, Black Beauty and The Secret Garden into her freestyle illustrative style, but then make them up as embroidered works. It took her a little over 2 months and these are the results.What is amazing is that she is a novice stitcher!.. So what truly inspires me (apart from their gorgeous colours and textures and free flowing illustrative style) is that with a little time and care you can create something truly stunning with a few stitches and a little creativity. Perhaps not in the same league as Ms Tamaki… but none the less I am inspired.The covers of the new limited edition books will be sculpturally-embossed with full wraparound images and french flaps. They will be available for sale in October, 2011 – and you can CLICK HERE to pre order / buy them

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Still on an EMBROIDERY theme… I made this little Strawberry tee with my daughter this weekend… she did the blanket stitch (with a little help from mum) on the sleeves, and also drew the strawberries on the tee for stitching with one of our NEW WATER SOLUBLE PENS in our embroidery tool section.We have also added it as a little MINI PROJECT onto the site .. hope you like it

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I have been practising my embroidery techniques of late .. as I am busy designing some new EMBROIDERY PATTERNS for our site, including a new collection of PDF EMBROIDERY auto download patterns.This week my daughters school has ‘carry a hankie week’ (whatever next?).. which needed to be named, so I got all flash and embroidered her name on a piece of pink cotton.To be fair she ooo’d and ahh’d enough for me to be happy with my evenings work – and hopefully now she wont lose it!Stitches practised were padded satin stitch and chain stitch, and if you are a registered user of our site we have a basic embroidery stitch HOW TO section for free. Plus with MINI PROJECTS from as little as £2 you might as well get stitching!

padded satin stitch

chain stitch

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January is a penny pinching month at the best of times – let alone in the depths of a recession! I have read lots of comments and had lots of emails of late about ‘thrifty crafting’ from lots of lovely folk.Whilst it is our job to tempt you with all our new designs and wares, we are also mindful of the climate and thought we would take the time to share a few of our recent thrifty finds.First up – cross stitch and embroidery bases. Evenweave cotton is expensive, especially the top quality zweigart that we sell on our site. This is because they work hard on an ‘even weave’ with limited lint and reject ‘blobbing’ of yarns. However for Christmas I was in my local Sainsburys when I spotted their latest BASICS napkin and table cloth collection – at £4 for 4 napkins and £6 for a 100% cotton tablecloth it is a ready made perfect base for both our FREE PROJECTS, or some of the Cross Stitcher patterns I have been doing in the magazine. It is the perfect look alike for 28 weave canvas which for cross stitch I stitch over 2 threads, making it the equivalent of 14 count. I used the napkins for quick embroidered Christmas pressies – and am in the midst of stitching up the table cloth with some of my new 70’s flower designs.As for stranded cotton – well I am one for car boots and antique markets. There are LOTS of dealers now who have lots of threads (which are from a variety of makers but stranded cotton is stranded cotton). These are from as little as 10p each – and I bought a full basket of mixed twisted yarns last week for £5!The colours can be readily matched up to those in magazine patterns, or you can create your own version with what you have….The same can be said of vintage buttons and threads which I always buy in bulk when I see them… and at the last antique fair I went to I happened upon someone who had cleared out an old military factory – and bought up a LOT of gold embroidery threads and the most amazing silver ric rac and braid…The price? £10.If you have any thrifty crafting suggestions – why not let us know and I will continue on a weekly strain with some more tips as I pick them up.Happy Thrifty Stitching! j x

buy vintage buttons in bulk for decoration

vintage threads from 10p

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We are feeling all Christmassy in Granny Knits this week… thanks to the lovely Kirsty Allsop promoting Cross Stitch on her HOME MADE HOME last week, we have had a record breaking week on our site…. and feel even more inspired to create new lovely things to share.

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We are feeling all Christmassy in Granny Knits this week… thanks to the lovely Kirsty Allsop promoting Cross Stitch on her HOME MADE HOME last week, we have had a record breaking week on our site…. and feel even more inspired to create new lovely things to share.

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We love old school embroidery and techniques and I am thrilled to have discovered these little beauties on a recent shopping trip… in one of our local vintage stores…I am always inspired by textures and techniques and I think these are simply full of charm.

Apologies for the picture quality as they were just on my phone.

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Today is a rainy day … typical of this time in November … so I decided to create a few bright ‘Swirly Birds’ which are only small (50 x 50 stitches) so are a lovely mini cross stitch to add to a napkin, teatowel or pillowcase as a simple present.